A computer's motherboard -- the primary circuit board to which all other parts connect -- is responsible for transferring data between components such as the CPU, RAM and video card. If you plan to build a computer, choose the motherboard carefully, as it determines the computer's capabilities and the components that it can support.
Form Factor
The term "form factor" describes a motherboard's size and the chassis type in which it fits. In 2011, ATX and BTX rank as the most common motherboard form factors. ATX motherboard sizes include full ATX, Mini ATX and Micro ATX. Although a larger ATX computer chassis can often accommodate a smaller motherboard, a smaller chassis cannot accommodate a larger motherboard.
CPU Socket
The CPU socket on a motherboard determines the type of processor that you can install. For example, Intel's Socket 775 works with processors such as the Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad, while AMD's Socket S1 works with processors such as the Athlon II and Phenom II. If you have a specific processor in mind when building a computer, the manufacturer's specifications for the processor will reveal its socket type.
Expansion Card Slots
The expansion card slots on a motherboard determine the number and type of internal add-on cards that you can install. Of these, the most important slots are the PCI Express slots for video cards. Many of the devices that you can install internally also come as external USB or FireWire devices, but video cards do not. ATI and nVidia -- the two largest video card manufacturers -- both offer products that enable two video cards to run in the same computer for improved gaming performance. In 2010, computer website Tom's Hardware compared the performance of the game "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" with configurations of one and two nVidia GeForce GTX 460 video cards, finding that the configuration with two video cards produced approximately double the number of frames per second.
Power Supply Type
Since the late 1990s, most computer power supplies have used the ATX form factor, while older power supplies use the AT form factor. A computer with an ATX power supply has a power button or switch that connects to the motherboard, while the power switch or button on an AT computer connects directly to the power supply. In addition, some motherboards have auxiliary power connectors for high-end processors that exceed the delivery capabilities of older power supplies.
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